Thursday, February 3, 2011

Garlic is a native of Central Asia, domesticated well over 5000 years ago ( by 3000 BC it was already a staple in Egypt). Garlic was an obligatory part of the diet of the pyramid builders, it along with onions gave them necessary strength to thrive on otherwise poor diet. Around 1600 BC this herb got into history officially since in that year slaves did not get their garlic and got themselves into a serious riot. Garlic was also mentioned in Iliad of Homer and the Old Testament. Now it's grown in 95 countries commercially. In 2009, humanity enjoyed its biggest crop of Garlic ever, 16 593 073 tons. That's enough garlic to give each human a whopping 2.41kg of Garlic, yes even to babies and super-models. That's 6.5 grams of garlic a day, enough to stink 24/7/365. But I'm sure it would be totally worth it , considering incalculable health issues that Garlic helps to keep in check.
Still-- who is eating all my/our Garlic? I eat more garlic than anybody I know, and I know a lot of people, yet I doubt I eat 2.41 kg a year.
There are enough calories in Garlic crop to provide 33.18 million people with 2000 calories a day, or entire populations of Morocco and Fiji . There is enough protein for 58.1 million people.
Biggest producer of Garlic is China (77.3 % of the world production of 2009), biggest producer per capita is

Korea with 7.75 kg in 2008 ( no surprise there). 1.76% of all arable land in Korea is occupied by Garlic production.
1 242 674 hectares of land (more than ever before) were used for Garlic production in 2009, a territory bigger than Falkland and Cook islands combined.
Best worldwide yields were 13488kg/ha in 2008. Worst (since 1961 )--5576.5 kg/ha (1961)
Best individual yield record belongs to Netherlands (1997) 50 000 kg/ha.
Prices of garlic varies from $500 to $3000 a ton and more. Retail prices in USA are about $3.5 per pound plus local sales tax.
World crop is about $12 billion worth.